To launch our 80th anniversary celebrations, we will begin with an afternoon rooted in history, conversation, and good company.

The event will start with a visit to the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, where we’ll take time to reflect on the wider maritime context in which the IDRA 14 was born and developed. This will be followed by drinks and snacks in the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), an opportunity to catch up with old friends, share stories, and officially kick off the anniversary year.

This opening event is designed to be relaxed, social, and welcoming to sailors past and present, supporters of the class, and anyone with an interest in the IDRA’s remarkable history.

The event will be held on the 21st of March '26. Start time, meet at Dun Laoghaire Dart station at 13.30h or Museum at 14.00h. Addmission €6

This is the first event of the year and we are looking at using this time to start building the class archives of memorabilia for a very special project which we hope to be in a position to reveal very soon! But we do need your help. If you have any old archive photographs, booklets, Clinker magazines, stories etc or similar can you start to think about where they are and let us know if we can collate them. We would love to be able to digitally record these in a central location and have them to share for years to come.

We hope you are able to join us and many thanks also to John Fitz for organising the day.

 Saturday evening, April/May (date TBC)

On the Water
IDRA dinghies will be available for young SDC members to get afloat and, weather permitting, experience trapeze sailing and flying the spinnaker. Current IDRA sailors will be on hand to chat about crewing opportunities, boats available, and upcoming events.

Onshore
A social gathering for current and former IDRA sailors. Former sailors are encouraged to bring photos and memorabilia for photographing, scanning, and recording. A slideshow will run throughout the evening featuring IDRAs in action at SDC from the 1940s to the present day.

Running over the 26th and 27th of September this event will be both on and off the water with displays of boats, memorabilia from over the years and food. 

From its earliest wooden hulls to today’s race-ready boats, the IDRA 14 has evolved steadily in response to how sailors actually sail. Changes have been introduced carefully over time, allowing the class to modernise while preserving the core characteristics that define the boat.

Fibreglass hulls, updated rigs, spinnakers, and trapeze systems have all been adopted to ensure the boat remains manageable, exciting, and affordable to race.

The IDRA 14 has always been shaped by its sailors. Owners have built, repaired, modified, and maintained their boats themselves, sharing knowledge and improvements across fleets.

This culture of hands-on involvement remains a defining feature of the class today. Whether restoring an older boat, helping a new sailor get started, or sharing tuning advice on the slipway, the class continues to be driven by the people who sail it.

Over 80 years, one hundred and twenty three IDRA 14s have been built and raced. Each boat carries its own history of owners, championships, rebuilds, and memorable races.

Active fleets in Clontarf, Dun Laoghaire, Howth, Sutton, and beyond continue to add to that story, ensuring the class remains visible and competitive within Irish dinghy sailing.

The 80th anniversary provides us with an opportunity to:

• Reflect on the history of the class

• Celebrate the sailors who sustained it

• Share stories of boats and fleets

• Look ahead to the future of the IDRA 14

Throughout this anniversary period, the class is gathering historical material, recording stories, and highlighting the people and boats that have shaped the IDRA 14.

While this anniversary recognises the past, the focus remains firmly on the future. The class continues to:

• Support youth and developing sailors

• Encourage refurbishment and new participation

• Promote competitive, affordable racing

• Strengthen fleets and class activity

The IDRA 14’s longevity is not accidental. It is the result of consistent effort, shared responsibility, and a belief that good racing and good company are worth sustaining.